Foreign Relations in His Book

Foreign Relations

In his book Merrill reinterprets the history of United States foreign policy decisions through the viewpoint of a specific, American ideology. According to Merrill, a central ideology has driven and shaped American foreign policy since the time of the nation's founding, including its decision to enter into the Revolutionary War. This driving American ideology is based on a general conception of the country having a national mission to serve to the world. Further, this ideology has grown to focus on racial classifications of other individuals and a general hostility towards social revolutionary movements.

Merrill's ideas on foreign policy development are unique in that, unlike most theories, Merrill argues that an American Way drives our diplomatic decisions. The majority of studies and works published on this topic, such as those found in the anthology entitled Major Problems in American Foreign Relations Volume II, have explained the Untied States' approach to the world through concepts of material interests or matters of self-defense. However, when reading and studying both concepts, it becomes clear that Merrill makes a compelling argument.

According to Merrill's theory, all American foreign policy decisions have been controlled by a shared ideology that can be broken down into three basic components. First, there is the general consensus of America's vision of national greatness. Second, there is the American tendency to view the world's diverse populations through a race or culture-based hierarchy.

Third and finally, there is a general feeling of both disappointment and horror associated with the failed revolutions around the world that occurred during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

Merrill's argument that the foreign policy of the United States is driven by our classifications of race and the effects of failed revolutions is a more difficult argument to accept. Although it seems that much of America's foreign policy and diplomatic/use of force is aimed at non-white, undemocratic societies that are politically unstable, the question is whether these actions are based on race, culture and revolution, as Merrill suggests, or on such things as pursuing America's material and self-defense interest.

However, history is full of examples that would tend to indicate that the United States' foreign policy is driven by racism and bias against gender. Take for example, the Cold War situation of British Guyana. In his book entitled U.S. Intervention in British Guiana: A Cold War Story, author Stephen G. Rabe tells the story of a massive United States covert intervention between 1953 and 1969. It is Rabe's contention that the foundation of this covert intervention was a basis of gender bias and racism on the part of the United States Government.

What is today known as Guyana was at one time a colony of Great Britain. In the 1960's, Guyana was set to gain its independence. However, government officials in the Kennedy and Johnson White Houses were concerned that the a newly independent Guyana would become a communist nation under the leadership of Cheddi Jagan. Jagan was a popular Marxist leader among the country's South Asian majority.